Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: BowEd on February 15, 2022, 07:29:30 am
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Purple heart in front of DF.
(https://i.imgur.com/puYkhc6.jpg)
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I've footed a few. I make my own shafts and typically use poplar. I do break quite a few so this technique is good for fixing them. I have a few arrows with two and three fixes.
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I haven’t tried it yet Ed.
Do you do it for a higher forward of center weight? Or because they look great?
Bjrogg
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I think it looks awesome and want to try it one day
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I've never footed an arrow but they sure do look nice. I think footed arrows were created as a repair for broken arrows but they also add weight, durability and beauty to today's arrows. I have a couple that Art Butner(artcher1) gave me with footed nocks also.
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These were made from perfectly good DF's.Usually 60 to 70 grains can be added up front.
Used osage before too.I've only done a few dozen or so in my lifetime.
I've insert reinforced the nocks on self nocks many times before with horn.Even then I wrap them on 50# bows.
(https://i.imgur.com/XjXmI0N.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/SLHdoFZ.jpg)
I've slammed these[accidentally of course] into steel before with no breakage.Just a mushroomed field tip.
Would'nt reccommend doing it on purpose though.
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Interesting! I will have to try that. Just have to sort through my purple heart.
Hawkdancer
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Nice. I've never tried it either. Might be next on my list after I learn to sinew back, recurve, and build shoot shafts.
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You can't beat a good footed arrow. I've made quite a few for people. They are worth the effort and make excellent arrows.
To get rid of the flats at the end of the 'feet' reduce to a slightly smaller diameter. The flats will turn to sharp points then. Osage is my favourite footing wood - it is much more durable than a lot of woods and footing with it really shows this. P/heart looks great but won't stand up unless the grain is perfect.
A friend of mine came up with a few jigs to allow cutting of footings with a router. His jigs are perfection! The footings are finished off the jig, ready to glue together. 3 and 4 footed.
Try a hand cut 4 footed splice Ed. They are fun!
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I agree osage is good stuff to use,and that your purple heart needs to have good straight grain.
A 4 way footed arrow I hav'nt tried yet.A jig would be the way to go with that procedure.They do look great.
I figured with the 2 way footing I got my extra weight up front and that's good enough.
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I have made quite a few reinforced self nocks with hardwood, piano ivory, bone and rawhide. I got the idea of the rawhide reinforcements from Glenn St Charles in his book, "Billets to Bows". I sinew wrap all self nocks whether they are reinforced or not.
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I made a few hickory footed douglas fir arrows some years ago and have managed to break or lose all but one of them, so it's probably time for some new ones. Hickory makes for a very tough, durable footing material as you can imagine (that was never the part that broke!) and does add some FOC weight. Maybe I will try osage too.
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Yep there's many options out there and I've tried many of them.All depends whether you want to take the time to do them.
Shafts that are shot a lot with self nock horn inserts maintain the best.
I don't like to shoot loose fitting self nocks.Heating and pinching plain self nocks do get them to snap on the serving again.
I don't like them to snap on really tight though.Just enough that a tap from my finger will dislodge them but still stay on the string through out the draw.
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and I prefer a loose nock.
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I've seen some people dry fire because of that.Not a pleasant outcome for the bow or the arrow or the shooter.
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I've used loose nocks for 30 years or more. Probably not for everyone but it works fine for me.
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The subject of loose nocks reminded me of a method for tightening up the fit of an SMLE fore end to the rear of the action body.
A Canadian match shooter tightened his by drilling holes in from the outside and gluing dowel rods in to prevent wriggle under recoil.
I'm thinking that small holes drilled from each side of the nock with small hardwood rods with rounded tips glued in or one rod that you could cut and trim for best fit might do the trick. Just enough to prevent the nock from jumping the string.
Might be a good way to correct the fit if you found a replacement bowstring was not as thick in the serving as the too heavy string the arrows had been used with for months.
When I replaced the string of my Bearcat I found the arrows I had were a loose fit at the nock, it felt like the string was slapping the arrows butt when loosed and occasionally one would slip off the string before I drew it. The plastic nocks were a bit flimsey anyway, and had spread with use on the thicker string, so I warmed them up and squeezed them a bit to tighten them. I later retired the remainder of that batch and bought two dozen new arrows that fit fine.
Of course it might be simpler just to add a layer of serving.
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and I prefer a loose nock.
I've never tried loose nocks. Why do you prefer them? I suppose now I'll have to try it.
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True Ghost.
That's why I'm not a fan interchanging some one elses' arrows to my string and visa versa.
I make my serving exactly the same thickness as my self nocks.
Plastic nocks fit way too tight on my serving.
When making self nocks to fit on my strings I use a short identical section as my string as a fitting jig to know when I've got them correct.
(https://i.imgur.com/0MdwXm3.jpg)
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Don, it's just something I've always done with self nocks...like nocking the arrow above the nocking point, I've always done it. Plastic nocks were always too tight even though they can be opened with hot water and a little pressure. Plus, I have had plastic nocks break but never a self nock. That's when I'd dry fire.
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Never been a fan of plastic nocks either for a number of reasons.
The only reason I see why people use them is because of convenience when making arrow shafts.
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I agree, Ed. The only plastic nocks I liked were called(Mercury)Speed Nocks which has a loose fit but they are still plastic. Self nocks rule and look cool too. Might be as little more time and work but who's counting.
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I've messed around with footing with PH, walnut, and others on and off and have had mixed success. Same with insert, self, and plastics knocks. My favorite knock is defiantly the insert/self knock, but I've shot out a few to many in crowded targets, and they can't always be easily fixed. For utility arrows I just use classic plastic knocks because they are cheap, easy, and consistent. Also, I've never broken one on the string. When they get hit with other arrows you can just remove and replace them.
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I’ve just recently starting messing around with the 4 finger footing, messed around with building a jog to do it. Still working on getting it to look good as far as getting the shaft worked down. Not sure if there’s a benefit to it other than looking nice and just something else to learn to do.
As far as knocks, since it’s easy to reenforce all my knocks now. But I like a firm fit, no snap, but not loose.
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Plus, I have had plastic nocks break but never a self nock. That's when I'd dry fire.
That's why I started doing self-nocks. They just last longer and they're more dependable. I tend to do mine loose, too. They're easier to make and don't cause any problems if you are aware that they're loose. I could only see them being a problem if you're used to pinch nocks...that could get ugly. ;D I don't do a lot of walking around with an arrow on the string, and when I do I just keep a bow-hand finger over the arrowshaft to keep it from falling off.
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I am not up to footing, at least not as nice as the one you do.
But I repair arrows with a kind of footing by simply do a single cut in a fixture and add a broken arrow as tippet and I found this easy and fast repair but it do not look as good as real footing with contrasting darker wood
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Good fix and hope it holds up for you.Personally I just make another shaft.
Split timber shafts alone need good straight grain.Even when putting footings on them.
I never need to foot shoot shafts as they are already full length tapered and IMO are noticeably tougher than most all split timber shafts.
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Good fix and hope it holds up for you.Personally I just make another shaft.
Split timber shafts alone need good straight grain.Even when putting footings on them.
I never need to foot shoot shafts as they are already full length tapered and IMO are noticeably tougher than most all split timber shafts.
I was really skeptic to this when I started but I needed a easy way to extend life although 90% of my reparations are nocks, and I repair an inch (+5" overlap) at most but I have not had any failure.